446 
the season’s tapping operations, see paragraph 2 : 
Sent to Reporter on Economic Products, Calcutta ... 10 lbs 
Sent to Agricultural Chemist, Dehra Dun ... ... 2 „ 
Sent to Curator, Government Garden, Nilgiris ... A ,, 
Sent to Ranger, Venkatramana, Forest Department, 
Madras ... ... ... ... ... 1 „ 
Sold locally for Rs. 51-8-0 ... ... 35A ,, 
Kept as sample in stock ... ... ... 2 „ 
51 >, 
14 - 
Full details of all figures discussed above will be found in 
Tapping charges and broker's 
report on quality of rubber. 
Statement A attached to this report, 
and in this connection it only seems 
necessary to draw attention to two more 
points, viz., the reduced expenditure effected on tapping operations 
and the favourable report of the London broker on the quality of 
the rubber forwarded for sale. In regard to the first point, it 
should be noted that, in the previous season, an item of Rs. 1,198 
was incurred on the purchase of coal tar for smearing over the 
wounds caused by the kukris and dhaos, partly as a healing ap- 
plication, but chiefly as a preventive or check on illicit tapping that 
might subsequently be made on the trees that had been worked 
over departmentally. This last season no expenditure has been 
incurred under this head, as it seems doubtful that the application 
of tar is of any utility, and the danger of illicit tapping is not con- 
sidered sufficiently great to justify the considerable expenditure 
above mentioned. By eliminating this part of the original procedure, 
and by reducing the actual expense of tapping, the cost on the 
material landed in Calcutta was reduced from Rs. 94 to Rs. 70 per 
maund of 80 lbs. the actual figures being as follows : 
Rs. 
Cost of 3,363 lbs. of rubber obtained in 1898-99 ... 3,967 
Cost of 4,502 lbs. of rubber obtained in 1899-1900 3,839 
With regard to the second point mentioned above, Messrs 
McLeod & Co., of Calcutta, through whose firm the rubber was 
despatched to London and sold, write as follows : 
People who have examined our parcel inform us that it Is the 
finest stuff ever seen here from Assam. Last year’s shipment could 
scarcely be improved upon in matter of cleanness and condition, 
but this parcel is more presentable, the packing being better done. 
Doubtless, the better packing in acme tea boxes lined with cloth, 
instead of despatching the product in bags, as was done in the pre- 
vious season, had much to do with the better price paid, 35-. 7 d. 
per lb. having been realised as against 3^. 4 \d. in 1899. 
15. In the attached Statement B is given a detail of the girth 
Supplementary experiments. and crown ° r 5 ,P read measurements of 10 
per cent, of the trees that were tapped 
last season. The results are interesting so far as they go, and tend 
to prove, as might be expected, that the outturn of rubber is in pro- 
